Neha Dhupia recalls her first audition; ‘I hung upside down on a tree and they laughed’

Neha Dhupia recently spoke about her very first audition and first acting work. She shared these memories with a big smile and full excitement. She said it felt like reliving her teenage days. Before movies, Neha was doing modelling work in Delhi. She appeared in ads and music videos. Those days were simple and full of first-time moments.

Neha recalled in an interview with The Bombay Film Stories on auditioning for a music video with the band Euphoria. During the audition, people asked her, “What can you do that is fun?” She said she was very athletic at that time. She used to run and do physical activities. She saw a tree nearby and felt confident. She said, “No, I can do this.” Then she shared, “I hung upside down on a tree.” She said everyone started laughing at her. After laughing, they finally called her inside.

The curly hair moment and a surprise bill

The actress then spoke about another funny moment from the same project. She said her hair was very straight at that time. The team told her, “We want her, but we want her with curly hair. Because she has to look like somebody who lives in Mauritius.”

Neha said she sat in a hotel and got her hair curled. It was called a perm. She explained how expensive it was back then. “Getting a perm done in those days was like 9,000 bucks,” she said. When she got the bill, she was shocked and thought, “Who's going to pay for this?” Just before she could pay, someone walked in and paid the bill for her. That moment stayed with her.

First flight, first paycheck

Neha also remembered her first time on a flight. She said, “I get to travel on a plane, and I had never travelled abroad.” She was nervous and excited at the same time. There was a stopover in Mumbai. When they asked her if she was okay with the layover, she felt confused but happy.

The actress shared how she felt like a child seeing candy for the first time. She said, “They paid for my air ticket. I was on TV with a rock band.” Later, when she went to collect the VHS copy, something funny happened again. She said, “The funniest part, they gave me a paycheck.” That made her feel proud and surprised.

Neha on being called 'Female KJO'

Talking about her modelling days, Neha remembered working with Chitrangda Singh. She said, “We did a campaign for Gillette.” She recalled waking up a week later and seeing herself and Chitrangda holding hands in the picture. She said they had very different looks, but that image stayed in her heart. “Chitrangada and I still talk about it,” she said with joy.

She also spoke about being called the “female Karan Johar.” She said this label does not define her. She shared that her friendship with Karan Johar is based on respect and humour. She joked that she is “not a threat to anyone,” which helps people connect with her easily. She added that she knows many people in the industry but is not close to everyone and does not share others’ secrets.





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